In the last three days, Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts has endorsed Paul Ryan’s plan to end Medicare, and just today voted against repealing oil company subsidies. That’s more right wing than Susan Collins.
Some polls show Brown relatively popular in Massachusetts. A few months of truthful negative ads should put an end to that. Hello, DSCC? Are you listening?
Unfortunately, it’s a tough row to hoe against Brown. He’s not just “relatively” popular for a Republican in Massachusetts - he might have the highest approval ratings of any politician in the state, regardless of party. Then there’s the fact that the MA primary isn’t until September of 2012, which gives us all of two months to unite around a nominee. And actually, it’s worse than that: the state’s congressional delegation keeps on saying ambivalent things about Brown and sniping at our potential senate candidates.
So, yeah, it’d be good for the DSCC to step in.
On the bright side, though, I should also mention that Scott Brown shot his mouth off time and again when he was my state senator. It never stuck to him, but if he does the same thing on the national stage he probably won’t be so lucky. And he’s got lots of time to say something dumb.
Well I hate to be Debbie Downer but A) Scott Brown is now an incumbent, and has a large advantage over any challenger and B) I think that a large part of the equation is the challenger. No offense to Bob Dole, but he was a fairly weak contender in 1996 and tacking so hard to the right (flat taxes) in the primary and then sticking with it in the general election did not help (some of Bob Dole’s proudest moments in the Senate included saving food stamps and Social Security, so I’m convinced he’s more right wing than Steve Forbes).
Odds that Scott Brown is re-elected: A good 60% I’d guess. He’d be most hurt by strong Democratic headwinds, which will only come if the economy rebounds by 2012, which is unlikely.
*sorry I meant to say “I’m NOT convinced he’s more right wing than Steve Forbes” *
“and tacking so hard to the right (flat taxes) in the primary and then sticking with it in the general election did not help”
Mostly because, with the possible exception of flat taxes, (I’d have to check, it’s been a while.) he didn’t stick with it in the general election. My recollection is that, the moment he got the nomination, he started burning his bridges with conservative factions. I swear, it was like he had a checklist he was going down…
In a sane world, these comical pols with such positions would be crushed like bugs in their next campaign. Alas, their opposition party is the Dems.
Brown’s got a nice mane and a GQ mug…
Face it, pretty-boy is going to be tough to unhorse.
Attack him on the issues?
Sure, but also, be bold enough to warn voters about bad ideas wrapped up inside pretty horses.